'Excellent' American college student, 20, suddenly goes missing in Japan as desperate search for him: 'We are in a living hell'

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:07, 2 June 2026 | Updated: 22:09, 2 June 2026 An 'excellent' American college student has gone missing while on a trip with his family in Japan. James 'Weston' Higginbotham's last confirmed location was in Kyoto, a major tourist hotspot, on May 29, his distraught loved ones said. The 20-year-old, who attends Alabama's Auburn State University, traveled to the country with his family starting on May 25, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said in a Facebook post.  He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with a graphic on the back that reads 'Save the Bees', lavender corduroy pants, white Adidas sneakers with black stripes, and was wearing a shoulder bag 'with the state of Alabama on it', according to a website that was made to help people search for James. The young man, who is 6ft 1in tall, also has long blonde hair, blue eyes, and 'may have been emotionally distressed,' the page read.  His mother and father, Keith Higginbotham, are currently searching for their missing son in Japan and have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. 'Please be kind. We are in our own living hell. He is not detained from a night out partying. The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I'm already in so much pain,' Nancy wrote online.  His last confirmed purchase was at a Kohnan hardware store in Kyoto. He then arrived at the Kyoto train station, but his phone lost connection around 8.29pm local time, according to the website.  James 'Weston' Higginbotham went missing while on a trip with his family in Japan His mother and father, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, are currently searching for their missing son in Japan and have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. (Pictured: James and Nancy) Surveillance footage obtained by police showed James getting off at Yamashina Station, which is five minutes from the first train, Nancy said on Monday night (7am Tuesday in Japan).   'It is unknown whether he later got back on a train,' the website detailed.  His family and friends have requested that anyone in the area search hotels, cafes, hostels, train stations, stores, and even the 'deep woods' for their son.  According to James' description and his mother's social media posts, he is an 'experienced hiker with an excellent sense of direction.'  His heartbroken mother also noted for people not to publicly share her son's location if they locate him, and to instead call local police 'immediately' before messaging her.  His last confirmed location was in Kyoto, a popular tourist location, on May 29. (Pictured: Stock image) The young man, who is 6ft 1in tall, also has long blonde hair, blue eyes, was wearing a shoulder bag 'with the state of Alabama on it', and 'may have been emotionally distressed,' a website read She added: 'I know there is a typhoon currently hitting, but I will be there today searching the woods today.  'My husband and I went last night with flashlights and headlamps and didn't get too far because we weren't prepared for the wildlife we encountered. If anyone wants to join us after the storm, I would be grateful.'  The website provides multiple contacts to reach out to, including Nancy's personal email and phone number, the number for the Yamashina Police Station, and others.  A prayer vigil is being held on Tuesday at 6.30pm at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham for the Higginbotham family.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.